The early D8 series: by Richard Campbell
Developed from their successful model Diesel 75, the original D8 machines were known as RD8s (the ‘RD’ designation was dropped halfway through production) and carried the series number 1H.
Powered by a 115 horsepower six-cylinder naturally aspirated Caterpillar model D13000 diesel engine they weighed approximately 16.5 tons (depending on equipment) and had a six-speed manual transmission.
Bulldozer blades and other operating equipment was normally supplied by outside manufacturers such as LeTourneau or LaPlant-Choate, Caterpillar’s preferred suppliers.
According to Caterpillar records, just under 10,000 of the 1H series were manufactured up until 1941 when the 8R series replaced it.
The D8 (8R series) was manufactured throughout WWII and thousands were supplied to the US armed forces.
Engine horsepower of the D13000 was increased to 132 and the weight rose to 17 tons. Attachments were still sourced through LeTourneau and LaPlant-Choate.
Quite a few of these machines ended up in New Zealand following WWII and can be identified as ex-military machines by the figures “US7” stamped into the serial number plate above the machine’s serial number. This designates US Navy 7th fleet, which operated in the Pacific area.
Immediately following the war Caterpillar introduced a new version of the D8, the 2U series, which sported several refinements over its predecessors and of course, more horsepower - 144 at the flywheel.
During its lengthy production life this particular version of the D8 saw numerous improvements and upgrades as the type was developed, most notable of which was a new five-speed transmission the replacement of the standard dry type clutch with Caterpillar’s famous oil clutch which extended service life of this critical component by a considerable margin.
With the introduction of the 2U series Caterpillar also started to supply its own blades and attachments, although other brands could still be specified at the buyers request.
A fully equipped D8-2U weighed approximately 18 tons.
The 2U series was a major seller, with Caterpillar delivering over 23,500 examples.
Following the 2U came the 13A series, the last of the D13000 powered D8s.
Looking very much like its 2U predecessor apart from a larger fuel tank, the 13A series production run lasted from 1953 to 1955 and was not built in very large quantities.
As such, the D8-13A is considered to be an interim type.
Thanks for checking out NZ Contractor magazine's Cat D8 clip.
These slideshows are made from images and captions first published in the magazine.
Author Richard Campbell also administers content on / nzcontractormag
All of the images you see here can be viewed separately at / contractormag
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